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Thursday, March 1, 2012

Thriller Thursday: The Kidnapping of Geraldine Kuylen

This newspaper article I found on ProQuest's Historical Newspapers Database during their recent free trial period they offered in celebration of Black History Month. I have to thank my fellow Geneablogger friend and colleague, Yvette Porter Moore, for bringing the ProQuest site to my attention. I was lucky enough to find this article on a kidnapping that took place in my family that I knew of through information my father told me. Finding this article brought some additional details about what happened to light. My paternal grandmother was Ethel Murrell. My grandmother's sister Hilda who later in life went by the name Bernice had we believe two children. Geraldine and Theodore. This article is regarding the her first child who was kidnapped from her by a former babysitter.

(Above a picture of Geraldine Kuylen--wrong first name listed under picture but she is referred to correctly as Geraldine in the article.)

Unfortunately after this second kidnapping, Geraldine was never found. From what we the family know of the kidnapper she loved the child and we don't think she would have caused her physical harm. I am hopeful that perhaps someday by some miracle of the internet, perhaps this child or a descendant of hers may come across this article or my blog and perhaps the family can be reconnected. My Aunt Hilda Dixon, formerly Kuylen, passed away in 2000 so she will not have the opportunity to find out the outcome of this story but her nephew and grand niece would love to.

I wonder why she would tell the woman who kidnapped the child once where she was. That seems strange. And why would the sister who was babysitting let the kidnapper take any of their children anywhere? Stranger still.

It is strange Kristin. My dad was a baby when this was happening. From what he was told of the situation later by his mother was that his Aunt had allowed the babysitter to watch the child again and then she took the child. Now once I discovered this article last month it does seem to appear that perhaps something was amiss here. My Aunt Hilda was a bit "flighty." I know what my thoughts are on the matter, but I prefer to keep them private due to the sensitive nature of this. Kristin you are a smart cookie so we are probably on the same page.

A Quote By Rumi

A Quote By Philip Carr-Gomm

When we know about our ancestors, when we sense them as living and as supporting us, then we feel connected to the genetic life-stream, and we draw strength and nourishment from this.

A Quote By Laurence Overmire

Over the course of the millennia, all these ancestors in your tree, generation upon generation, have come down to this moment in time to give birth to you. There has never been, nor will ever be another like you. You have been given a tremendous responsibility. You carry the hopes and dreams of all those who have gone before. Hopes and dreams for a better world. What will you do with your time on this Earth? How will you contribute to the ongoing story of humankind?